Better Decision-Making
by chibby
Summary: Kingdom Hearts runs on idealism, the power of friendship... and the occasional terrible decision. This oneshot series looks at what might happen if those decisions were made a little differently. Spoilers, of course. / Currently: Sora, Donald, Goofy, and Mickey, "Is There a Doctor in the House?"
1. Helping Hand

**So, over in Desire to Protect, I mentioned my brain is full of what-ifs. Well, I found a fanfiction like this for the BBC Merlin show and thought it was an intriguing idea (it's written by Pawthorn, if you're a fan you should definitely check it out, especially since that one is funnier than mine), and while playing 358/2 Days and Birth By Sleep, I was amazed at how _bad_ everyone was at explaining themselves.**

**So. Here we are. First up, Riku and Xion.**

* * *

**Helping Hand**

"Do you know where Sora is now?" Xion asked, turning hopeful eyes on him.

"That secret stays with me," Riku said automatically. Whatever Xion was, she was still a member of the Organization. He couldn't trust her with that. ...Not yet, anyway.

Xion looked away, leaning against the palm tree again. "Why's that?" she asked weakly.

"Xion..." Riku thought back to Naminé explaining this to him, trying to decide how much to say. "Your memories... they really belong to Sora."

Xion's head lifted, and she turned to face him, though her eyes were to the side. "So you mean... I'm like a part of him?" And it hurt to hear not fear or denial like he'd expected, but _amazement_ in her voice.

Maybe that was why he kept talking, walking back towards her. "When his memories were scattered, some of them... found their way inside you." Xion bent over, hand going to her head as if in pain. "Now, Sora has been put to sleep so that we can piece together his memory. Except..."

"You can't, because part of it is inside _me_," she finished. "That means... he can't wake up."

"Yeah," Riku said, struggling to stay impassive. "You got it." Xion sounded honestly regretful. Was Sora, someone she'd never met, only remembered, really that important to her? If he was, then maybe... "But, if you go with me to Sora right now, we could give the memories inside you back to him."

Xion finally looked up, voice cool as she gave him a sarcastic smile. "So, do you hate me for taking your friend away from you?"

Riku shook his head. Xion apparently got the wrong idea from what he'd said. That, or she was remembering how badly their last meeting had gone. "Nah. I guess... I'm just sad."

The cold mask broke in an instant, Xion looking like she would cry before she lowered her head. "I'm sorry, but... I can't go with you. It's my friends – they need me." She raised a hand, studying it before gently closing it into a fist. "And I need them, too."

Riku knew that feeling. Thinking about Sora stuck sleeping, or Kairi, who was just across the water right now, waiting for both of them to come home... He understood.

But Xion didn't know what Naminé had told him.

Slowly, he put a hand on her shoulder. When she looked up, he thought about giving her a reassuring smile, but decided not to – he was seriously out of practice. "I wish I could give you more time to think about it, come to a decision on your own. But, Xion..." Pale blue eyes stared up at him, hurt and vulnerable. "If you take in too many of Sora's memories, hold on to them too long, they'll destroy you. Your body might still be there, but you won't be _you_ anymore." _If his memories become her memories... she will never survive it._ "And then you still won't be there for your friends."

"But..." Xion's eyes wavered, one hand held in front of her chest. "I can't just leave them."

Riku thought over what to say next very carefully. "Xion, if we don't get Sora's memories back from you, he'll never wake up. And those same memories are changing you, every time someone looks at you." Riku knew that if he were take the blindfold off now, he wouldn't see what he had before. Honestly, he was a little scared to find out what he _would_. "Sora's memories, especially of Kairi, are very strong. You need to let them go."

Xion backed up, eyes wide and afraid as she shook her head, hand closing tight around the chain hanging from her coat. "No! I won't –!" Her fingertips pressed to her forehead as she hunched over again. "I don't have anything else to remember! I don't want to give them up!"

"Xion," Riku said as gently as he could. "You're making your own memories, right now. Your friends, they're not something you got from Sora. With them, you have a chance for surviving without Sora's memories. But only if you give his memories up; otherwise, they'll overwhelm your heart."

Because even though DiZ claimed Xion was just a replica, an empty puppet with Sora's memories being the only thing that animated her, Riku remembered another replica that had, in the end, had _something_. And watching Xion now, seeing the uncertainty, hope, and sheer _wonder_ filter over her face, it was hard to believe she didn't also have that something.

"I... have a heart?" she whispered. "I really have my own..." She looked up at him again, grabbing the fabric of his coat. "I could meet him? Sora?"

"Well..." Riku thought it over. DiZ was pretty sure Xion would be destroyed, but DiZ hadn't seen what Riku had, and neither of them knew what Naminé did. Naminé, who might very well be a Nobody with a heart. Who had urged him to get Xion to her before it was too late. "If everything goes right... I think so."

The complete joy that filled Xion's eyes made him hope it would.


	2. Harsh Truths

**Now, for Terra and Eraqus. And Ven. Because, honestly, my immediate reaction to a certain line in this scene was "Because you're not _explaining anything!"_ You can probably guess which one.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

**Harsh Truths**

"Ven!"

"What!?" Master Eraqus was plainly startled by Terra's sudden appearance. But Terra could feel only rage that his master would _dare_ attack Ven, _his friend_, one of the friends that were more important than anything...

He could feel the darkness well up inside him, stoked by his anger as he gripped his Keyblade, standing in front of Ven to protect the younger boy from further attack. "Master! Have you gone mad!?"

"Terra! I command you – step aside!" his master ordered.

"No!" Terra shouted back, armor fading.

Master Eraqus's eyes narrowed. "You will not heed your master?"

"I won't!" Not when he'd seen Ven backing up like that, clearly afraid. Not when it was the master that was supposed to guide and _protect_ them who had attacked first.

"Why do all my attempts to reach you _fail!?_" Their master hung his head and tried one more time to get Terra to back away. "If you don't have it in your heart to obey..." he looked up, pain filling his eyes as he saw the resolve on Terra's face, "then you will have to share Ventus's fate." A tear ran down his face before he lunged towards Terra, attacking in earnest.

Terra blocked the attacks, refusing to give any ground. "Enough, Terra!" Ven said from behind him. "He's right..."

"Quiet!" Terra barked. He _was not_ going to let anything happen to Ven. That meant he couldn't afford to listen right now, to risk giving Eraqus an opening. He couldn't afford to think about how learning the truth behind Vanitas must have affected his friend, why Ven would be willing to let Eraqus attack him, why Master Xehanort had told him his friend was enraged when he sounded resigned and heartbroken...

"Terra..." Ven said softly. Then Terra was tackled from behind, throwing him off-balance and narrowly avoiding one of Eraqus's swings. He tumbled to the ground, snarling as he prepared to deal with this new threat because _Ven needed him_ –

He was shocked to see it was Ven trying to hold him down. He stopped struggling immediately; hurting his friend was one line he would never cross. "Ven, get off!"

"No!" Ven yelled. "Just stop it, both of you!" Tears welled up in the boy's eyes as his hands fisted in his hair. "Terra, Master, please, _listen_ to me..."

Eraqus had pulled his Keyblade back, light drawn in around it for a powerful attack, but froze. He lowered his Keyblade, light dissipating as he stared at the the two boys, horror dawning on his face.

Ven went on, not paying attention. His eyes squeezed shut as he shook his head. "I'm not going to fight. Terra, I _can't _fight. If I fight, they win. If destroying me is the only way to stop that –" His eyes opened, desperate and begging Terra to understand. "Terra, please..."

Terra felt the darkness swirl up inside him again as his rage returned. This was wrong, Ven should never look so hopeless, should never sound so heartbroken and scared. He was going to _murder_ someone for this. "Ven, I'm not going to let that happen!" He tried to get up, only for Ven to push him down, and he fell back more out of surprise than anything else.

"Terra, no!" Panicked blue eyes met his own stunned ones as Ven kept talking, everything coming out in a rush. "They need me to fight Vanitas, if I'm gone that can't happen, and we _can't_ let it happen and I'm scared and I don't know what to do but you can't fight the Master don't you know how much he loves you and I love you too that's why I can't let you –" He took in a shuddering breath, head lowering to rest on the older boy's chest, voice becoming painfully level. "I can't let you two fight because of me. Not for me..."

"Ven..." Terra said softly, putting a hand on the younger boy's shoulder. It was trembling, putting the lie to Ven's attempt at calm. His rage was forgotten in an instant as he tried to think of some way to help, to fix this, to make things _right_.

"Ventus, Terra," Eraqus said from where he still stood. Terra shot him a glare, wrapping an arm protectively around Ven as he stood and moved back. Eraqus didn't come closer, Keyblade low at his side, held too loosely to be threatening. "What am I doing? Raising my Keyblade against my students..." He shook his head, pain lining his face as he held a hand over his chest. "Was I truly so blind to not see the darkness forming in my heart?"

"Master..." Terra said, still holding tightly to Ven. The darkness coiled within him, ready to leap out and attack at the slightest provocation.

Eraqus kept his head down, not looking at them. "I am sorry, both of you. I let my fear cloud my judgment, but no more." Grey eyes were clear as he dismissed his Keyblade and looked up, meeting Terra's light blue ones directly. "You were right to stand against me, Terra. And you deserve to know why you had to, what secret lies behind Ventus first coming here."

"I already know," Terra said, maybe a little harsher than he should have. He pulled back on the darkness, feeling it reluctantly settle. "Master Xehanort told me about Vanitas."

Ven started, pulling away from Terra. The older boy let him, since Eraqus didn't seem like he was going to attack again, and Ven stared up at him with a mix of worry and fear. "Xehanort told you?"

Terra nodded, giving his friend a reassuring smile. "It's okay, Ven. He told me about the training accident –"

"It wasn't an accident!" Ven yelled. He flinched, one hand pressing to his head as he gasped in pain.

"Ven!" Terra reached out for his friend, surprised when Ven knocked his hand away, eyes wide with panic as he stepped back.

A second later the look cleared, and Ven looked down, shoulders sagging. "It wasn't an accident," he repeated quietly, half to himself. "I didn't want to fight, wasn't strong enough..." He winced, hand again going to his head. "I was too scared to do anything, and he..." Ven finally looked up. "Terra, Xehanort was trying to push my heart into darkness. And when I couldn't do it, he broke my heart to make Vanitas."

"But..." Terra shook his head. Master Xehanort had been guiding Terra, helping him come to terms with his darkness. Could he really have done something like that? But Ven wouldn't lie. "But _why_?"

"Xehanort has long been fascinated by Kingdom Hearts," Master Eraqus said. "The one true light said to be the heart of all worlds, over which a great Keyblade War was waged, nearly destroying everything as a result." Terra looked back and forth between his friend, who refused to meet his eyes, and his master, who was slowly walking over to the two boys. "And it is said that the only way to open Kingdom Hearts is with the legendary χ-blade, a weapon formed when forces of pure light and darkness clash."

Terra felt something heavy sink in his gut. "Then, Ven and Vanitas..."

Master Eraqus nodded. "And now you know why I attacked Ventus. Xehanort can _not_ be allowed access to Kingdom Hearts. He'd doom us all just to _see_ it."

Terra hung his head, all the strength leaving his body as he started to realize just how much he'd given up, trying to control his darkness. "So everything he's told me, about finding a balance between the darkness and the light – that was all a lie?"

"Terra." Master Eraqus's voice was heavy, conflict plain on his face. "When we were students, Xehanort often spoke of seeking such a balance. But when I have seen darkness, it is always like a wild, raging beast, lashing out at anything that threatens it. To control it without giving in to it, without becoming it, is something no one has ever achieved. Not even Xehanort himself. For years I have fought against it, seeking to rid it from our world. Yet despite all those efforts, the darkness persists, grows stronger in response to the light. And now, seeing you, I must wonder... if perhaps I have been wrong."

"Master..."

Master Eraqus shook his head. "The darkness _is_ dangerous, and something to be wary of. That remains true. But it lies within all of us, in every heart. If it can never be driven out, then it falls to us to find another way." His master set a hand on Terra's shoulder. "That path may be the one you now choose to follow, as a Keyblade Master."

Terra's eyes went wide. "Master, do you really mean that?"

Master Eraqus nodded, giving Terra a warm smile. "I truly believe that if anyone can find a way, it will be you, Terra." He looked over to Ven. "And if you should start to loose yourself, I have no doubt your friends will be there to guide you back."

Ven looked warily at Master Eraqus, but hope was already starting to return to his eyes. "You're not gonna destroy me?"

Their master shook his head. "I was wrong to even think such a thing. If one of you must be destroyed, it should be the one that threatens the worlds, not the one that would protect them." He set his other hand on Ven's shoulder. "And I will be counting on you to help Terra find his way, to be a light for him should the darkness become too great."

"You got it!" Ven agreed, almost floating as he grinned. He threw his arms around Terra's neck, practically squeezing the life from the older boy. Terra was too relieved that his friend was smiling again to care. "Congratulations, Terra!"

* * *

Watching from one of the castle's towers, Xehanort scowled. Filling Terra's heart with darkness now would be much more difficult. And the old man had the feeling that as long as Eraqus lived, it would never truly give in – but attacking his former friend would be useless at this point. Eraqus's light was still too strong to be quickly snuffed, and a prolonged battle with the three in the clearing would only firmly attach Terra's heart to the light and deprive the old man of his chosen vessel.

"Very well, boy. We'll just have to see how your light bears the loss of your friends." He turned, opening a dark corridor with barely a thought. All was not lost yet.


	3. Resurface

**Now, one with Roxas. Who is probably going to show up in quite a few of these, because, seriously? Somebody, please, just _talk_ to the poor boy.**

* * *

**Resurface**

"I'm going to set Kingdom Hearts free!" Roxas yelled. "Then everything can go back to the way it was!" His head lowered, voice tight with pain. "Me, and Axel, and..." He stuttered, and his voice was even more quiet when he went on. "...and her can go on having ice cream together..."

Riku looked at the Keyblade in his hand, still able to faintly see the outline of a girl with black hair. "Her? You mean Xion?" He kept his tone level, almost conversational, not willing to let Roxas see how hard it was to recall. He had a lot of practice getting things back from the edge of his memory, after all. "It's a struggle just to remember the name now, isn't it?"

And he _understood_, oh, how he understood how much it hurt to lose someone so important. To _forget_ them. It had been almost a _year_ since Sora had gone to sleep. A year Riku had been fighting to remember his best friend's face, his _name_, whenever he was away from DiZ and Naminé too long. And whenever he _was_ with them, trying not to think about how _still_ Sora was, how much it was like when Kairi had lost her heart. So he knew very well how quickly pain turned to desperation, willingness to do _anything_ to get them back.

And if Roxas was destroyed, Sora would never wake up. Riku lowered the black Keyblade to his side, subtly shifting his weight to be ready for an attack. "Either way, I can't let you go doing anything crazy."

Roxas lifted his head. "I have to find this Sora person, and freeing Kingdom Hearts is the only way!" His voice was rising again, almost hiding the pleading quality that had snuck in. "I want Xion back. I want my life back!"

Riku shook his head, wondering how Roxas had gotten that idea. "If you try and make contact with Kingdom Hearts, the _last_ thing you'll get is your life back." He turned his head slightly, enough to see the heart-shaped moon without letting Roxas out of his sight.

Unbidden, the words tumbled out. "But if you want to meet Sora, I can take you."

"...What?" The word was barely a whisper, Roxas frozen where he stood.

Because as desperate as Riku was to have his friend back, for Sora to finally _move_ and wear one of those stupid grins, he found he didn't want to force Roxas. Especially not since Roxas acted... like he had a heart. Even with DiZ's repeated claims that Nobodies were empty shells that didn't have hearts and thus couldn't feel anything, somehow Riku wouldn't be surprised if his friend had the _one_ Nobody that did. They had already broken most of the rules just by being able to coexist. If Roxas hadn't been found by the Organization, if he and Sora had actually...

"I'm giving you a choice," Riku said. Which had backfired horribly with Xion, but... Riku didn't think he could face Sora if he had to physically _drag_ Roxas back. "You want to find Sora? Fine. If it means you don't get yourself destroyed by the Organization, I'll take you to him."

"But... Kingdom Hearts..." The hood turned, looking up at that strange moon. "I have to free Kingdom Hearts... I promised..."

Riku grimaced. "We can do that later. _After_ you give Sora his memories back."

"No!" Roxas shook his head, slashing the Keyblade in a motion that was more frustration than threat. "I have to do it now! Before I forg–!" He choked off the word.

"Before you forget?" Riku finished, keeping his voice calm and face blank.

"Shut up!"

And Riku did. Roxas was struggling with _something_. And maybe, if Riku let him reason it out, this wouldn't have to end as badly as he'd feared.

"I need... I need to find Sora. She said she was going back to Sora." Roxas shook his head. "I promised her I'd free Kingdom Hearts. I have to do that while I –" He stuttered again. "I still remember. Once I do that, I can go find Sora. Then I'll find her, too."

_Riku, please, you have to stop him! I didn't mean for this!_

Riku glanced at the Keyblade in his hand, feeling the faint humming resonance that echoed Xion's voice. Masking his surprise, he looked back at Roxas, who hadn't seemed to notice Riku's lapse. "Trust me, finding Sora is much easier than taking on the Organization. Don't try to pretend that's not what this would really be. So..." Riku held up Xion's Keyblade, offering the handle to Roxas. "Come with me."

Roxas hesitated. "We... can eat ice cream together again?" he asked, whisper trembling with hope.

And Riku found he couldn't lie. "I can't promise you it'll work out that way." At this point, even Naminé wasn't sure Roxas would survive giving Sora's memories back. Xion... who could say? "But I do know if you try to free Kingdom Hearts now, you'll just be throwing yourself away. Then there's no chance at all."

Roxas stayed frozen a minute longer, then started walking over. Riku forced himself to relax, to let his guard down and not seem like a threat. The Nobody stopped arms' length away, close enough now that Riku could faintly see his face, so much like Sora's. Different, too, though; Sora had never looked like that, with so much doubt, hope, and confusion all warring on his face. "I won't forget?"

"You might," Riku admitted.

"That's not good enough!" The Nobody's face twisted as anger took over.

"Maybe not," Riku said, still holding onto his calm. "But I can only give you a chance."

Roxas frowned, clearly not happy with that answer. "Xemnas won't get Kingdom Hearts?"

"No," Riku said firmly. "That I _can_ promise."

Mouth pressed to a tight line, Roxas reached out with one hand, laying it over Riku's to wrap around the Keyblade. "Okay. Take me to Sora."


	4. The Path to Wisdom

**Next up... Ansem "the Wise." Who has so many opportunities, I'm just going to do it like this and not even bother writing full ones. May have a part two for ones I missed (feel free to point any out), but I think these are most of the big ones.**

* * *

**The Path to Wisdom**

"Naminé has served her purpose. However, let us wait at least until Sora has awoken to confirm his memories truly are in order before erasing her. ...On second thought, let's not erase her. If she could return to Kairi the same way Roxas has to Sora, it will likely be better for all involved."

* * *

"Riku, you must bring Roxas here. Use force if necessary, but the truth may yet make him our ally against the Organization."

* * *

"You see, Riku, I needed someone who could walk in darkness. Then I realized my plans would be for naught if Sora were to be lost, so I collected him from the top of Castle Oblivion first."

"Hi, Riku!"

* * *

"No, Ienzo. We're not going to build another laboratory in the basement, the one we already have by the aqueducts is more than sufficient. And we should really begin looking into those strange black creatures that have been turning up."

* * *

"Xehanort, I don't believe this is a good idea. I'd like nothing more than to help you regain your memories, but I would not be able to bear it if these experiments were to cause you serious harm. Why don't we first see if anyone recognizes that charm you were carrying? Our new friend, the king, perhaps."

* * *

"Braig, you're fired."


	5. Called By Name

**Okay, next! Thanks to ****SummonerDagger88 for getting me to think of Naminé! I'll see if I can get something else for her, too, since this ended up being more about Roxas again... Just too easy to find ones with him, poor boy.**** Stopping where I do because it kept getting too exposition-y.****  
**

* * *

**Called by Name**

Roxas flailed against the darkness, the Keyblade refusing to appear. He reached up, trying to grab _something_ to pull himself out, and felt a hand gently grab his wrist.

Suddenly he was in a space tinged a soft blue, odd shapes lying around like furniture or some kind of weird display. He couldn't call it a room because the walls, if there were any, were so far off that they faded into the distance. Sitting on a ledge above him was the strange girl from before.

He opened his mouth to ask who she was and what was going on, but the girl held up a finger near her lips, stopping him. With a small smile, she lowered the hand, resting it on her chest. "My name is Naminé," she said.

There were a dozen questions Roxas wanted to ask, but he was still reeling from what had just happened and didn't quite trust his voice yet. So he just gave her a confused look, to which the girl just stared back, studying him.

"Roxas," Naminé said after another moment. "Do you remember your true name?"

Roxas blinked, wondering again what was going on. He had a weird feeling that he should know the answer to that question, because hadn't someone asked him that before...?

Suddenly a tall figure in a black coat was beside Naminé, pulling the girl to her feet by her arm. "Say no more, Naminé," the man said.

Naminé looked up pleadingly. "But if no one tells him, Roxas will –"

"It's best he doesn't know the truth," the man said, and suddenly Roxas remembered hearing that voice before.

"Hey! You're that pickpocket!" Roxas accused, thrusting a finger towards the man. It was easier to focus on that anger than keep wondering about figures in white and Keyblades and the unrelenting sense that there was something he was _missing_ here, something he should _know_.

The man turned towards him and started to lift a hand to the side, but Naminé reached out with her free one, smacking him in the shoulder. The hood turned back to the girl, who scowled defiantly at him.

"Naminé..." the man said warningly.

"Let her go!" Roxas said, fist clenching at his side. The Keyblade appeared in a swirl of light, and on instinct he threw it at the man.

The Keyblade clanged against something, getting knocked to the side, but blocking the strike forced the man in the coat to release Naminé. He lowered his sword, a red and dark blue blade styled like a wing, and stared down at Roxas. The teen glared right back, and the Keyblade reappeared in his hand as he set himself in a ready stance. The man shook his head, as if in pity, and lifted the sword level with his hood.

Suddenly Naminé threw herself between them, her back to Roxas as her arms went to the side. "That's enough!"

"Naminé," the man warned again.

She shook her head. "He's _never_ known the truth. No one ever..." Her arms lowered, and though Roxas couldn't see her face, he could hear her voice waver. "We need to tell him."

"You know why we're not."

"They're already here," Naminé shot back. "Making him forget didn't work." She rested a hand over her heart, voice going soft. "I want him to wake up, too. But we both know Sora wouldn't like this."

"Sora?" Roxas repeated in disbelief. He came out of the stance, Keyblade vanishing again, and looked back and forth between them, visions of a boy in red flashing through his head. "You guys know Sora?"

The man's hooded face turned in his direction, and Naminé smiled over her shoulder at him. "That's right," she said. "Sora is someone very important to both of us. And to you."

Roxas blinked, confused all over again as he shook his head. "You mean those dreams are real? That this Sora guy is actually running around somewhere?"

"No," the man said, sounding annoyed. "He's not running around anywhere anymore."

Roxas felt a trill of fear hearing that, and wasn't sure why. "You mean he's...?"

"No," Naminé said quickly, turning to face him fully. "No, Sora's just sleeping right now."

Roxas rubbed a hand through his hair, trying to wrap his mind around the fact his dreams had actually happened. "But why am _I_ dreaming about him? I've never even met him!"

"Because..." Naminé stopped as the man in the coat hopped down from the ledge. She shot a look over her shoulder at him, hands going to her hips. "Are you going to let me tell him or not?"

The man didn't answer for a moment. His face, hidden under the hood, turned to Roxas and then back to Naminé. "I shouldn't," he said. Then he leaned back against the ledge, sword vanishing as he crossed his arms. "DiZ isn't going to like this."

"DiZ likes to remind me that Nobodies don't have hearts," Naminé said quietly. "So I guess I don't really care."

Roxas was surprised to hear the man laugh, and did a double-take because for a second the deep voice seemed to change to a much softer one, one that was almost familiar. The figure looked smaller all of a sudden, but when Roxas blinked, he was back to normal.

Naminé turned back to the teen with a small smile, pulling his attention away from the odd occurrence. "Alright, Roxas." The pale blue space faded into a smaller one, an actual room with a long table. Everything, from the walls to the potted flowers on the table, was stark white. Pictures, clearly done by hand, were pasted on the walls and scattered on the floor, the bright spots of color drawing his eyes to them.

Naminé lifted a pad with an orange cover off the table, cradling it to her chest. "This isn't going to be easy. But you want to know the truth, right? About the connection between you and Sora."

Roxas had been curious, yeah, but he hadn't thought it was some kind of terrible secret like these two seemed to. He could feel something itching in the back of his head, like there was something important he was forgetting about. He glanced at the man, still leaning against a wall, before turning back to Naminé. "Yeah, I... guess so..." he said hesitantly.

Naminé nodded, face solemn. "Do you remember your true name?" she asked, just as she had before the man had interrupted.

Roxas's brows furrowed, trying to figure out if it was a trick question. His name was just his name, wasn't it? "It's –"

Pain blossomed between his eyes, making him flinch. One hand pressed to his head, the other blindly grabbing the edge of the table for support. He groaned, pain intensifying as images flashed through his mind. Creatures like shadows, pulling themselves off the ground in pouring rain. Letters drawn in the air, swirling until they all blurred together. A dark beach, waves crashing against black sand.

_Why!? Why do you have the Keyblade?_

You seek answers.

**I'm what's left. Or... maybe I'm all there ever was.**

_You really are his Nobody._

I can give you purpose.

**Do you remember your true name?**

"My true name is..."

_**Sora.**_

Roxas jerked back, eyes wide. Naminé watched him sadly, clutching her pad tighter. She gave him a small nod, answering the question he couldn't bring himself to ask.


	6. into the Woods

**Next... Terra and Snow White. Another long one. Almost became even longer – Vanitas tried to hijack it, but I beat him off with a stick.**

**I should probably explain that what I'm trying to do here is not only offer a different outcome, but also examine the characters' states of mind when they make these choices – hence the references and build-ups to the canon choice, though I'm trying to glance over the actual scene work (emphasis on trying). I'm looking at points in time where the characters had enough information to make a better decision, but for whatever reason, didn't.**

* * *

**Into the Woods**

_Lost her..._ Terra stared into the dark trees, searching for any trace of the girl's trail. Frightened as she had been, she wouldn't exactly be trying to hide it.

_She said she doesn't know anything about Master Xehanort. That leaves me with just one other option._ Terra turned back the way he'd come, grimacing. _The Mirror. Back at the castle._

He needed to track down Xehanort, prove himself to his master. He needed to become stronger, strong enough to control his darkness, and this mission was his master's way of giving him the chance. And yet, his feet wouldn't move. Over and over, he saw Snow White's eyes, suddenly filled with terror as she ran. Ran from him, not the Unversed. He hadn't meant to frighten her, and her fear _hurt_ after the gentle way she'd greeted him.

He'd left Aurora trapped in sleep, her heart stolen, because he didn't think he'd be able to stand up to Maleficent's magic – not yet, anyway. Losing control like that, doing what he had... It terrified him. He needed to get a handle on his darkness before he could return and make that right.

But now? Now was only a misunderstanding. If he could just apologize...

He nodded, something tight in his heart unwinding as he stepped into the trees. The Mirror wasn't going anywhere. He didn't want to regret this the way he did Aurora.

"Hello?" he called, cupping his hands around his mouth. No response. Snow White had probably just kept running straight into the woods, without looking back. Judging by the broken branches and piece of torn cloth, his guess was right.

It took him longer than he thought it would, but finally he could hear quiet sobbing coming from up ahead. He puffed out a quick "phew!" and confidence came back to his strides. He could fix this. Soon he could see the clearing, too small for the sunlight to break through the thick trees. In the center Snow White was sitting on the ground, her hands over her face as she cried.

It was just before he broke from the trees that the last thing he could ever expect happened: Ven came up behind her. Terra froze, stunned, plans to apologize flying from his head as he tried to figure out what _Ven_ was doing here.

"What's wrong?" the younger boy asked, concern carrying easily.

"Th-these horrible trees," Snow White said, voice unsteady. "They tried to grab me."

Ven came closer, holding a hand out to the frightened girl. "It's okay," he said, voice and smile both warm and reassuring. "You were probably just seeing things." Snow White started to calm down, slowly turning towards Ven and wiping the tears from her face. "It happens to all of us when we're afraid."

She took his hand, and Ven helped her to her feet. "Oh, thank you," she said, taking a deep breath as she smoothed her skirt. "I feel quite better now. I'm sure I'll get along, somehow." She seemed to realize something then, clasping her hands in front of her chest. "But I do need a place to sleep at night." Terra felt a stab of guilt. Had he actually scared her so much she didn't want to go back to the castle? Not that he could blame her, remembering the queen's cold glare. And murderous intentions. "Would you know anywhere I might?"

Ven thought for a second, apparently not finding it strange that Snow White didn't have a place to go – Terra kept forgetting that Ven just didn't _know_ about that kind of thing. "Well, I saw a house just up ahead. Come on, I'll take you there." His head lifted a little, smiling again. "Oh, I'm Ventus. Ven for short."

"Thank you, Ven." She curtseyed. "I'm Snow White." Her voice was back to the kind, gentle ease she'd used before Terra had scared her, and the older boy marveled at how well and how _easily_ Ven had helped her.

"Great! Let's get going." Ven turned back the way he'd come, not once seeing Terra half-hidden in the trees.

For a minute Terra thought about just leaving it at that. He hadn't apologized, but he'd hate to frighten the poor girl again, especially after Ven had calmed her down. Then he remembered this was _Ven_, who was supposed to be safe at home, not traveling between worlds and – and getting attacked by a tree?

Terra had thought, like Ven, that Snow White had simply imagined the trees grabbing at her. Apparently that wasn't the case, roots ripping up from the ground as they came after the pair. The trees were slow, however, and Ven gestured quickly for Snow White to go around while he swung his Keyblade at them. It might have even worked, had the Unversed not appeared to herd her back to the waving branches.

Terra ran into the fight the instant he saw them. Ven could take care of himself, but Snow White couldn't, and the younger boy wasn't used to keeping an eye on someone else as he fought. He ran past the girl and swung at the closest Unversed, which dissipated under the force of his blow, and tried to not wince at the startled gasp behind him. He focused on the Unversed, trusting Ven to handle the trees while he worked his way into the group.

A bright flash of light distracted him, and he looked to see Ven and Snow White far too close to the trees. But the branches were no longer flailing in the air, instead frozen in place. Ven aimed a quick smile at the girl, grateful and reassuring all at once, before starting in on another group of Unversed.

Terra finally finished his own, refusing to get distracted as yet another group appeared. "Terra!?" Ven called out, at once ecstatic and confused as he realized the other boy was there.

Despite everything, Terra grinned. "Focus!" he called back, a wide swing cutting through three Unversed. To his relief, Ven did, and between the two of them, they had soon made it to the other side of the clearing with Snow White bearing no worse than a few small scratches.

"You okay?" Ven asked her, letting his Keyblade vanish.

"Oh, I – yes, I'm..." She looked uncertainly at Terra. "I-I suppose."

Terra decided he'd just spit it out. There was a reason Aqua always said he was blunt. "I'm sorry about before. I didn't mean to frighten you."

Ven frowned, glancing at each of them. "What? Come on, Terra, like you'd ever scare somebody."

Snow White blinked, taken aback. "You two know each other?"

"Yeah, Terra's great!" Ven said, full of enthusiasm. "He's one of my best friends, and he's really nice!"

"Oh." Snow White blushed, turning back to Terra without any lingering doubt. He wondered if her easy acceptance was because she was just naturally that kind and trusting, or because it was Ven speaking on his behalf. "I'm terribly sorry. I shouldn't have run away like that."

Terra shook his head, trying to smile like Ven was – it seemed to be working wonders. Or the younger boy was just that much better than him at this. "It's okay. Those monsters appeared behind you, and I didn't think about what it looked like. I probably would have run, too."

Ven laughed, throwing his arms around Terra and catching the older boy off-guard. "Oh man, this is such a relief! I didn't think I'd find you so soon!"

Before Terra could ask why Ven was looking for him in the first place, an ominous rustle came from behind them. Snow White gasped, standing behind Ven as the two Keyblade-wielders turned towards the noise. "Let's get somewhere safe, first," Terra said, scanning the dark trees for movement.

"Right," Ven agreed. He and Snow White started out, Terra slowly backing up to follow, Keyblade ready. It wasn't until they were in the light again, in a small grove with a cottage, that he let it vanish.

"You should be safe here," Ven was telling Snow White as he led her into the cottage. "But stay put while me and Terra look around, okay?" He was grinning again as he came out, eyes lighting up when he saw the older boy still there, as if he'd expected him to vanish.

He looked so happy that Terra decided he would put off the lecture on barging in to what was probably someone's home. Different worlds had different rules about that kind of thing, after all. Then again, he couldn't think of anyone that would turn someone like Ven or Snow White away. Except maybe that queen.

Suddenly reminded of his mission – _the Mirror, Xehanort, the master's orders_ – Terra once again felt two sides of his heart at war. He needed to get back to the castle and the Mirror. _Now_. But he couldn't abandon Ven.

"I still can't believe I found you already," Ven said, relieved.

Terra frowned, but not too deeply – Ven's good mood was infectious, even if he didn't know what it was for. "Ven, why were you looking for me? I'm on a mission from the master." A thought occurred to the older boy. "He didn't send you out, too, did he? Alone?"

Ven ducked his head. "I, uh... kinda ran away." He looked up quickly, blue eyes pleading as he continued before Terra could say anything. "But I didn't want to lose you! That guy in the mask – he said you were –" Ven's eyes went down. "...I don't want to be left behind."

Terra felt his heart melt. "Ven." The younger boy didn't respond or look up, and Terra sighed. He came closer, putting a hand on Ven's shoulder and making his voice more cheerful. "Come on, you know me and Aqua would never do that."

"I know," Ven said. "I _know_, but that guy said – and I _knew_ he wasn't lying, I don't know how – and I just –" Ven looked up, puppy-dog eyes in full force. "You're not gonna make me go back, are you?"

Terra sighed again, raking a hand back through his messy brown hair. "Ven, you're not ready to be on your own yet. You're safest back home."

"But I don't want to be _safe!_" Ven said, arm going to the side in a sharp movement. "I want to be with you guys!" The puppy-dog eyes came back. "Let me go with you, Terra. Please?"

Terra was about to say no. Ven wasn't _ready_. Then he remembered Aurora. If he'd had someone with him then, someone to stop him... maybe she wouldn't have lost her heart. Ven trusted him enough to understand how Terra was trying to get control of his darkness without judging him for it. And Ven's heart was so full of light that Terra didn't think he'd have to worry about losing himself, not with Ven there to pull him back. Not to mention that having a little backup against an Unversed swarm might be nice. And the younger boy could hold his own in a fight, so Terra wouldn't have to constantly keep an eye on him. Thinking about it, Ven's training should have included taking him to at least a few other worlds by now...

He took a breath, going over the thought again because this was _Ven_ he was talking about here. The kid he loved like a little brother. If something went wrong, if Terra _hurt_ him...

No. No matter what, he'd never hurt his friends.

"Okay," he said at last. He gave Ven a playful grin. "You just better keep up."

Ven's own grin was so bright it almost blinded him.


	7. Irreplaceable

**Next up, Sora and Riku's meeting in Traverse Town. Finding ones for Sora is hard, because while he's kind of – well, okay, really dumb sometimes, he _does_ tend to make the best decision he can with the information he has. This is one of the exceptions.**

**And is it just me, or do these things keep getting longer?**

* * *

**Irreplaceable**

"Okay, so, you're coming with us, right?" Sora asked hopefully. He grinned, practically bouncing from excitement. "We've got this _awesome_ rocket. Wait 'til you see it!"

Riku held back a frown, not sure how to answer. This was _Sora_, after all, the best friend he'd been looking for. He wasn't sure about the two behind his friend, though. And that Keyblade thing... He felt a stab of something, and later he'd realize it was jealousy.

He was spared from having to think about it when the duck cut in. "No, he can't come."

Sora turned to the duck. "What?"

"Forget it!" Not sure what he was feeling, but filled with an overwhelming desire to _not be here_, Riku took advantage of his friend's distraction and quietly slipped away.

He was close enough to hear the argument still going on, though. Sora hadn't even noticed... "Oh, come on, he's my friend!"

"I don't care!"

That was when the other one chimed in. "He's gone!"

"Riku?" Riku chanced a peek around the corner of the wall he was behind, and saw Sora looking around, walking over to where he'd been standing. The brunette hung his head. "Nice going," he muttered sarcastically. He scowled over his shoulder at the duck. "I'm gonna go find him." Then he took off, running up the stairs back to the Second District.

"Sora!" The taller, dog-like one called, starting to follow the boy.

The duck shook his head. "Aww, let him go, Goofy."

"Now, Donald," Goofy said. "You know the king told us to stay with the one that had that there key."

"He'll be back," Donald retorted, crossing his arms. "He can't get to other worlds without us."

"Well, that's true, I guess," Goofy said reluctantly. "Still, did you really have to turn Sora down like that? Riku's his best buddy, after all, and Sora's our friend now, isn't he?"

"Looking after _one_ of them's hard enough," Donald said, not giving in. "Let's just go meet Cid. Sora can find us later."

"Can ya at least _think_ about it?" Goofy persisted, to which the duck gave an exasperated sigh and walked off.

Riku leaned against the wall, puffing out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding. So those guys were only with Sora because of that Keyblade? And Sora was with them because they could travel the worlds. Then, maybe...

A familiar swirl of darkness formed beside him, and Maleficent walked through it. "So, child, have you found your friend?" she asked, the slightest lilt in her question making Riku's hackles rise.

He shot her a glare. She'd been helping him, but something about the witch just made his skin crawl. "Yeah, actually."

"Oh?" She arched an eyebrow, pointedly glancing around. "And where is he?"

Riku scowled. "Looking for me."

Maleficent laughed – a quiet, satisfied chuckle that unnerved Riku more than he'd think possible. "My, my. And after all your talk of not giving up, not _abandoning_ him..."

Riku turned away abruptly, strides clipped as he walked to the door that led to the First District. Maybe he could head Sora off. Anything to get that smile off Maleficent's face. She didn't know what she was talking about. Sora _hadn't_ forgotten him...

Unbeknownst to him, Maleficent's smile only grew wider as she watched him walk away.

* * *

Riku cut through the First District quickly, avoiding the few people in the plaza. Soon he was looking over the railing of the walkway around the upper level of the Second District, but he didn't see Sora anywhere.

Riku resisted the urge to call out for his friend – Sora was supposed to be looking for _him_, not the other way around – and vaulted over the railing, landing next to the small fountain. Had he already passed through this area? He hadn't gone to First District, so...

He was halfway through the door to the alleyway when another door slammed open above him. A second later, Sora's voice easily carried down to him, and probably across half the district, too. "Riku! Where are you?"

Before Riku could think about whether or not to answer – he wanted to answer, didn't he? – he heard the tell-tale sounds of Heartless appearing. "Not you guys again," Sora groaned. "I don't have time for this!"

Riku stayed where he was, listening to the sounds of the fight. He couldn't see anything, of course, but ever since stepping through the darkness at the islands, sometimes he'd been able to sort of... _sense_ where things were. The Heartless were like small, flicking dots of shadow, going back and forth above him. Then the shadows started disappearing one by one, and Riku's sense gave out, leaving him with just the sounds. Which died out a minute later.

"Fighting on my own's harder than I thought," Sora panted. "Maybe I should get... No." His voice steadied. "I gotta find Riku." After another moment, footsteps took off, heading towards the other side of the district.

Riku finally came out of the doorway, seeing Sora already up the stairs at the end of the walkway, entering a tall white building. He was struck with a sudden foreboding, and for a split-second saw a flash of Sora falling to the ground as Shadows leaped towards him. As the Second District came back into focus, Riku felt something stir in the darkness, a quiet whisper slithering out from the depths.

_Keyblade..._

Before he knew it, Riku was running after Sora, jumping off a bench to lever himself back to the upper walkway. He heard Heartless forming behind him but ignored them, calling his sword to his hand as he kicked open the door to the gizmo shop.

A swarm of Heartless had surrounded Sora, who was steadily being backed into a corner as he tried to fend them off. "Freeze!" Sora yelled, pointing the Keyblade at the group. Shards of ice flew from the odd weapon, taking out a few of the creatures, but there were still too many for him to handle on his own. An Air Soldier dive-bombed the brunette, forcing him another step back.

Riku's eyes narrowed and, face set, he started in on the group from the other side. Two Shadows and a Yellow Opera fell before the group noticed him. Another Air Soldier and a Blue Rhapsody dived at him, and Riku dodged the first as he cut through the second. Close enough to risk it now, Riku tossed a potion towards Sora, calling to get his friend's attention. "Sora!"

Sora started, looking towards him and nearly taking a fireball to the face, barely blocking with the Keyblade in time. "Riku!?" He saw the potion sailing through the air and caught it, sending off another blast of ice magic – and since when did Sora know magic, anyway? – before quickly chugging the healing drink. "Thanks!" he called back, taking a step forward as he swung the Keyblade, finishing off the Red Nocturne that had attacked him.

It took the two of them a while, and more than a few potions and Cure spells tossed back and forth, but finally the Heartless stopped spawning and the swarm was defeated. The two boys grinned at each other, and it was like they were back on the island, sharing the accomplishment of a job well done. This felt good, felt _right_, him and Sora together again.

Sora's Keyblade vanished in a flash of light, and, breathing heavily, he plopped down on the ground where he stood, leaning back on one hand as the other wiped sweat from his forehead. He rolled his eyes as he looked up at Riku. "Man, even with the Keyblade I'm still not as strong as you," he complained, grinning.

Riku walked over and let his sword disperse into dark mist, sitting next to his friend. "Yeah, well," he said, trying to keep his breathing even – pride wouldn't let him admit how tired _he_ was after the fight. "We can't all be this good." He flicked a hand through his bangs, giving Sora a cheeky grin.

It had the desired effect: Sora laughed. "Thanks, Riku. You really saved me." He looked down. "I'm glad you didn't leave," he added quietly.

"Hmm?" Riku looked over, drawing one leg up to his chest to rest an arm across his knee.

"I'm glad you didn't leave," Sora said again, not looking up. "That you came back."

"Hard not to hear you screaming for me," Riku said, voice still light.

Sora rubbed the back of his head, embarrassed. "I didn't want to lose you again."

"Well, you won't have to," Riku said. He punched Sora's shoulder. "You and me, we can head out together, look for Kairi. Then start traveling like we wanted."

Sora grinned, then paused, a strange and almost sad look coming on his face. "I gotta seal the Keyholes, too, or else there won't be any worlds to visit."

"Keyholes?" Riku repeated.

Sora nodded. "Leon and Aerith said that's what the Heartless are looking for. They need to go through the Keyhole to get to the world's heart. When they do, the world disappears." He held a hand in front of him, and with a soft _ching_ the Keyblade reappeared. "The Keyblade's the only thing that can stop that from happening, by locking the Keyholes."

Riku frowned, remembering something from long ago. _In your hand, take this key..._ "Sora, how did you get the Keyblade?"

Sora shrugged, weapon fading away once more. "It chose me, I guess. Yuffie said it does that. I sure didn't ask for it. It showed up in my hand on the island, after you..." Sora gave him a look that was a mix of worry and apology. "You know."

"I thought you came with me," Riku said, unable to keep the hurt out of his voice. Though that might explain why he'd shown up alone at Hollow Bastion...

"I tried!" Sora said, defending himself. "But I couldn't reach you, I couldn't move, I couldn't breathe – and then the Keyblade was just _there_, and there were these creepy voices, and –"

Riku frowned, and the other boy stopped, looking like nothing so much as a kicked puppy. "You were scared," the older boy said simply.

For a second Sora looked like he was going to deny it. Then he sighed and hung his head. "Yeah. It's just... it was so much like that weird dream I had. It felt _wrong_, Riku."

"It got us to the outside world," Riku countered. This freedom was worth some bad vibes, as far as he was concerned. Now... Now he could get stronger.

_Strength for what?_

"I know," Sora said. Blue eyes became pleading. "But don't disappear like that again, okay? Please?"

Riku slung an arm around Sora's shoulder, shaking him a little. "Don't worry, Sora. Nothing's gonna keep us apart."

Sora nodded, giving him a small smile. Then he winced, head rolling back. "Oh, man. I forgot about Donald." One hand covered his eyes as he groaned. "We gotta make him let you come, Riku. Maybe we can trick him into a vote, I bet Goofy'll be on our side."

Riku frowned, arm sliding away from Sora's shoulders. "We don't have to go with them, do we?"

Sora peeked out from between his fingers with one eye. "They've got the gummi ship. Donald can be a jerk, but he's not so bad after a while. And Goofy's okay."

Riku's frown deepened, something unpleasant stirring in his heart. "What if we didn't need a ship?"

"Huh?" Sora's hand dropped as he gave Riku a curious look. "You know, I _swear_ I looked everywhere for you last time I was here..."

"I was on another world. There's... someone I know," Riku said carefully. "She's been helping me get from world to world. She was the one that told me I'd find you here."

"I gotta thank her, then," Sora said, smiling warmly. "I was seeing you guys even when you weren't there."

"You're quite welcome, child," Maleficent's soft voice drifted over.

Riku jolted, leaping to his feet. There, walking calmly towards them, was a familiar witch in a long black cloak. "Maleficent," he said coolly. What _was_ it about her that set him off?

Next to him, Sora stood as well. "So you're the one that's been helping Riku?" he said, oblivious to his friend's attitude. "Nice to meet you!"

"It is a pleasure," Maleficent said, stopping a little ways away and bowing her head slightly. "Little wonder Riku was so determined to reunite with you. My, it seems like ages since I last met one of the Keyblade's chosen..."

Sora's head shot up, eyes wide with surprise. "You mean other people have used the Keyblade?"

Maleficent smiled. "Oh, yes. One of its wielders was quite helpful to me in the past."

"What are you doing here?" Riku cut in, eyes narrowing.

Maleficent looked shocked. "Why, I'm checking up on you, of course," she said, sounding wounded.

"Riku?" Sora asked quietly, finally noticing something might be wrong.

Riku gave a tight shake of his head. "Well, we're fine," he said to Maleficent. "And we've got a lot of catching up to do."

She arched an eyebrow, still smiling benignly. "You must be tired. Why not return to my castle and speak there?"

Sora's eyes lit up at the mention of a castle, but Riku quickly cut him off before he could say anything. "No, I think we'll stay here for tonight."

Maleficent studied him for a moment, then nodded, a sliver of disappointment marring her smooth voice. "Very well. I shall return for you later." She struck her staff against the ground, and in a flurry of black and green fire, disappeared.

"Whoa," Sora said. "Does she always do that?"

Riku grimaced. "Far as I know."

Sora looked over at him. "Is something wrong? You said she was helping you, but you weren't acting like she was your friend."

"That's because she's _not_ a friend." Riku shook his head. "You and Kairi are the only friends I need. She's..." _Creepy, obsessed with darkness, playing some weird game with me..._ "...not that nice."

"She seemed okay to me," Sora said. "And she knew someone else that had the Keyblade! Maybe she could tell us more about it!"

"Forget it, Sora," Riku said. "I found you, so now the two of us can start looking for Kairi."

For a moment, Riku could see the confusion and doubt in his friend's eyes. Then it cleared, and Sora nodded, smiling. "Alright. Then let's go find Donald and Goofy."

Riku frowned. "I meant _just_ the two of us."

Sora blinked. "But if we're not going with our friends, how are we supposed to get to another world?"

Riku paused. He hadn't really thought that through, had he? But he didn't want to be with those other two, and he didn't want Sora anywhere near Maleficent, either. "We'll figure something out. This was going to be _our_ adventure, remember?"

Sora tilted his head, confused again. "But aren't you supposed to make lots of friends on an adventure?"

Riku opened his mouth, but couldn't think of anything to say to that. "I just want to find Kairi first," he finally managed.

Sora nodded, easily accepting the reason. "Okay, so let's get to the ship –"

Why wasn't Sora _getting_ it? "I don't _want_ to go with them," Riku said hotly.

Which just confused Sora again. "Why? Donald didn't really mea-"

"Because you're _my_ friend," Riku snapped.

Sora blinked. "Of course I am. It doesn't matter how many friends I make, none of them are _you_. You're always going to be my best friend, Riku."

_To protect the things that matter. You know, like my friends._

And just like that, the coil of something dark that had been tightening around his heart unwound. "Promise?" Riku asked, not caring how much he sounded like a little kid right then.

"Yeah, of course," Sora said. Without a second's hesitation, he held out a pinky.

Smiling in relief, Riku hooked his own around Sora's. Okay, so it was way more childish than he'd allowed himself to be in ages. But... wasn't that half the point of going to the outside world? He wanted to get stronger, but he wanted to live on his own terms, too. He wanted to live like Sora did, just following his heart. "Cross your heart?" he added playfully.

Sora grinned. "And hope to die."

Riku nodded. "Okay." He swallowed hard, nervous about what Sora would say to his sudden change of mind. "Why don't you show me that rocket?"

But Sora just grinned wider. "Follow me!" he said, and took off running.

* * *

**I'm, uh, gonna stop this one here before it gets even more out of control. Suffice to say, Sora threatened to not go with Donald and Goofy if Riku couldn't (especially when Cid's gummi engineering came to light), Goofy _did_ vote for Riku to come, and Maleficent isn't a happy villain with this turn out. Which is too bad, because this really could have ended horribly in her favor, what with her enticing Sora with both a castle and knowledge about the Keyblade. Not to mention her power over sleep. If she hadn't been so determined to keep Riku kinda-sorta on her side, she might have just dropped Sora right there.**

**And for anyone wondering about Riku's "sense" and premonition. This is a head-canon of mine. Basically, well... You know how Terra had those visions a couple times in BBS, and he and Aqua kept commenting on the light in people's hearts? I'm thinking it's a Keyblade Master thing. Which means, as Terra's Successor, Riku's got it, too, though his is tied to darkness at first due to that dark portal thing. Honestly, I made it more prevalent here than I would have otherwise to get Riku's butt in gear, but it's still pretty weak (Ansem "helps" later). This sense would also be part of the reason for the blindfold – and explain how he can function while wearing it besides "becuz I'm super special awsom3!1!"**

**Sorry for the long note. Next chapter will almost certainly be shorter.**


	8. Reunited

**...So much for this one being shorter. Good thing I said "almost." Well, whatever. Terra and Aqua, Castle of Dreams, go!**

* * *

**Reunited**

"So, did you manage to locate Master Xehanort?" Aqua asked. She was still worried about Ven, but if Terra hadn't known about him, maybe he'd made progress on their mission.

"No," Terra said over his shoulder, not turning back. "But it seems he's looking for pure hearts, filled with light."

"Pure hearts..." Aqua repeated. "...filled with light." Why would Master Xehanort be looking for those?

Terra started walking to the large doors that led outside. "All I can tell you is his search hasn't taken him here."

"Alright," Aqua said softly, hating how strange it felt around Terra now. It was like the guilt of passing the Exam when he hadn't had built a wall between them. It had never been like this before. She wished they could _talk_ to each other, like they'd always been able to. But Terra was leaving...

"Do you want to help me look for more clues?" she blurted out.

Terra stopped, looking over his shoulder at her in surprise. Aqua blushed. She was a Keyblade Master now. She wasn't supposed to need help. But it was the first excuse she'd thought of to get him to stay.

Terra stared at her for a long moment, and Aqua could only guess what he was thinking. Finally, sounding uncertain, he said "If you want my help."

Aqua nodded, smiling in relief. "I do."

"Okay." Terra turned to face her fully, then looked up to the top of the staircase he'd just come down. "The prince is in the ballroom ahead. He might have some answers."

"Thanks." Aqua waited for Terra to walk over, and together they started up the stairs. She stayed silent, working on how she should talk to Terra now that she had him with her.

Surprisingly, Terra said something first. "Aqua. Do you still have the same dream?" he asked as they passed the first landing.

Aqua looked over, but Terra's eyes were straight ahead. "Well, yes," she said. The dream of being a Keyblade master had driven her ever since she'd come into the master's care and first met Terra. She may have been named Master, but it felt hollow somehow. ...Maybe it always would, as long as she was alone.

Terra nodded, half to himself. "There's this girl here. Her name is Cinderella. She made me realize how powerful it is just to believe." He stopped at the top of the stairs. "No matter how impossible things seem, a powerful enough dream will always be enough to light the darkness." He looked over at her, eyes clear and somehow lighter as he smiled. "I'd like to thank her, if we get a chance."

Aqua nodded, smiling warmly in return. "Of course." She felt a wave of gratitude for this Cinderella. It looked like she had managed to help Terra with the darkness that must have been troubling him since the Exam. Aqua felt that wall she'd imagined start to crumble. Terra would be alright. He wouldn't give in to the darkness, and when they went home, the two of them could finally stand together as Masters, just as they'd always dreamed.

As they entered the ballroom, they passed three ladies heading out, one older and two younger. Aqua suddenly felt a rush of cold, something dark flashing past in her mind. She froze, turning back to watch them leave, trying to figure out what it had been.

The man in blue she'd seen chasing a girl down the stairs earlier ran back in, carrying something in his hand. As he passed her, Aqua called to stop him. "Who are those ladies?"

The man stopped to turn and face her, and further ahead, Terra did as well. The man ran back over, slightly winded but seeming excited, Terra coming behind him. "Oh, if I recall correctly, that is Lady Tremaine, and those are her daughters." Aqua looked back towards the women, uneasy.

"You came back!" a new voice said, startling her out of her thoughts.

"Huh?"

"Oh," the newcomer said, dark eyes blinking as he saw her face. He wore fine clothes in cream and red with gold accents, and had a strong bearing that reminded Aqua a little bit of Terra. "My apologies, I was mistaken."

"Your Highness, I found this on the palace stairs," the man in blue said, that excitement bubbling up as he held up what he'd been carrying. Aqua looked back they way they'd come even though the Tremaines were long gone, unable to get her mind off the bad feeling she'd gotten.

"A glass slipper?" the apparent prince asked.

"You okay?" Terra came up beside her, shaking her from her thoughts again.

Aqua bit her lip. "There was something _very wrong_ with those three."

Terra frowned, looking the same way. "Come to think of it, they were under the balcony that Unversed appeared at..."

"– and I shall start with the closest residence, that of Lady Tremaine."

Aqua jolted at the name, turning back to the discussion behind her, but the prince and the man were already separating. "Terra, we should follow him," she said in a rush, grabbing his arm to get his attention.

Terra blinked in surprise, but nodded anyway. "Your Grace!" he called, jogging to catch up with the man.

"What?" He stopped and turned around yet again – he had to be getting dizzy by this point. "Oh, you're the young man that saved us from that monster earlier! Was there something else you needed?"

Terra nodded. "You said you were going to the Tremaines' home, right? Would you mind if my friend and I came with you?" He gestured to Aqua. "There's something we want to ask them."

"Why, of course not! Come, come, the carriage is this way." He was almost skipping as he led them. "Oh, at last the prince has decided to marry!" he sighed happily.

"Marry?" Aqua repeated.

"Yes, finally!" The man actually jumped up, spinning in the air. "He's completely fallen in love with the young lady he danced with! The king is overjoyed, and wants to bring her back to the palace as soon as possible!"

"You mean Cinderella?" Terra asked.

"You know her?" The man became even more elated, handing the glass slipper to a servant as they entered the stables. "Then I won't have to search the kingdom after all!"

"I'm not sure where she lives," Terra said, only slightly dimming the man's mood. "But I can show you where I met her, it's not far."

The man grabbed Terra's hand with both of his, shaking it vigorously and clearly taking the Keyblade wielder by surprise. "You've done this kingdom another great service tonight! There's no way we can possibly repay you."

Terra ducked his head, but not fast enough to hide the faint blush. Aqua quickly covered her mouth and turned away to avoid laughing. "It's not that big a deal."

"My boy, you've no idea what it means to me – er, the kingdom." The man finally released Terra, who discreetly shook his hand out by his side. "You not only saved many people, the prince among them, by defeating that monster at the ball, you're safeguarding the future of this kingdom by helping me find this girl!"

"What about the Tremaines?" Aqua asked. As happy as she was for the girl who'd helped Terra so much, it wouldn't do to leave a darkness like that unchecked in this world.

"What? Oh, yes." The man looked conflicted for a moment, then brightened again. "The Tremaine residence is fairly close to the palace, so I shall escort you there first. I wasn't expecting to have a lead on the lady so soon, after all, and a ride is the least I can do to thank you."

So, alternately chirping happily about the potential wedding and singing Terra's praises (almost literally – his voice had a certain lyrical cadence), the man that Aqua at last learned was called the Grand Duke took them in the royal carriage.

"What are you grinning at?" Terra asked her, clearly craving a distraction.

"I'm relieved," Aqua said simply. "We didn't get a chance to talk, after..." She glanced to the Duke, who didn't seem to notice they weren't listening to him. "...the master's decision. I was worried about you."

Terra rested his chin on a fist, looking out the carriage window. "I was worried about me, too. I can still feel the darkness in my heart, just waiting for the chance to get out." He smiled slightly. "If it wasn't for Cinderella, I might be thinking of giving up by now."

Aqua reached across to place a hand on Terra's, giving him a reassuring smile when he looked at her. "No, you wouldn't. You'd find a way, just like you always do. And I'll be there if you need me."

He nodded, turning his hand to give hers a squeeze. "Thanks, Aqua."

"Here we are!" the Duke chimed as the carriage pulled to a stop. "Lady Tremaine and her two daughters live in this manor."

"Thank you," Aqua said, opening the door to let herself out, surprised when a footman was already there, holding out a hand to help her down. They were near a garden, with a circular fountain and a stone bench under a willow tree. Down a short road, too small for the carriage to comfortably fit, was the manor the Duke had indicated.

Terra followed her a moment later, looking around. "Wait... That fountain. This is where I met Cinderella," he said. His eyes went to the manor, face hardening. "So the Tremaines were the ones she mentioned?" Fists clenched, he started up the road, Keyblade appearing in his hand.

"Terra?" Aqua hurried after him. She caught his shoulder, trying to get him to slow down. The older boy kept walking, not seeming to notice as he shrugged her hand off. "Terra, wait!"

She caught his hand, pulling back again and finally stopping him before the front door. She shivered at what she could sense inside. Like she'd feared, there was a strong darkness here. "Terra, we have to do this carefully."

"She's right, my dear," a kind voice said, echoing all around them. Startled, Aqua turned, seeing sparkling white spots, like tiny stars, coming together. With a flash of light, they coalesced into a older woman in a hooded blue robe, smiling gently. "It's difficult to turn the darkness on itself, and dangerous to fight it with light."

"You again," Terra said, the anger fading from his stance.

"Who are you?" Aqua asked.

"Cinderella's Fairy Godmother," the woman said. "I appear to those who believe that dreams come true." She smiled warmly at Terra. "I'm happy to see you again."

Terra nodded respectfully. "Same to you."

Aqua frowned, eyes flicking back to the manor. She could hear muffled voices, speaking of the king's proclamation and preparing for the Grand Duke's arrival. "I'm honored, but I don't understand. Why would you advise us _not_ to fight darkness with light?"

The Fairy Godmother gave her a serious look. "Strong rays of sun create dark shadows. Sadly, Lady Tremaine and both her daughters are jealous of Cinderella's charm and beauty – qualities that appear to you as light. Jealousy is darkness." She started walking over. "Light and darkness go hand-in-hand; you can't have one without the other."

"Then..." Aqua and Terra exchanged looks, seeming equally confused. "What should we do?"

"It's quite simple, dear." The Fairy Godmother smiled warmly again, stopping at the base of the stairs that led to the front entrance. "The Tremaines don't realize the Grand Duke already knows Cinderella is the girl he's looking for. We just need to keep Cinderella's light from fading in the meantime." She gestured up to one of the windows. "One of her friends is already trying very hard to do just that, so I want you to help little Jaq."

"Alright," Aqua said, nodding. "I can do that."

Terra frowned. "Wouldn't it be simpler to just go in and get Cinderella?"

The Fairy Godmother shook her head. "It's more than just Cinderella's light we have to protect. Feelings of inadequacy and helplessness can also cast shadows on someone's heart. Jaq is putting everything he has into helping Cinderella – that's the dream he's always believed in." She smiled. "You wouldn't want to keep it from coming true, would you?"

Terra rubbed the back of his head. "No, I guess not."

Aqua took his hand in hers. When he looked over, she didn't say anything, just smiled and gave him a reassuring squeeze, trying to convey without words that _their_ dream would come true, too. He smiled back, returning the squeeze. "I'll help, too," he said, turning back to the Fairy Godmother.

"I have a different job for you," she said, something playful in her grin. "But first, we should send your friend on her way."

* * *

While being mouse-sized was... interesting, Aqua was pretty much over it by the time she'd helped Jaq get to the mouse hole. At least she'd heard something about Ven – he must have just missed Terra's arrival on this world. She could only guess where he was now, but it had been a relief to hear that he'd been okay.

She was definitely over her new height by the time she managed to get to the top of the stairway banister, looking down into the parlor where the Tremaines were greeting the Grand Duke, Terra behind him like some kind of honor guard. "Come on, hurry, Jaq..." Aqua whispered.

"Ahem." The Grand Duke gave the ladies a small bow. "By proclamation of the king, I am to inquire as to the whereabouts of the girl who fits this slipper."

"Yes, Your Grace, we've heard the announcement," Lady Tremaine said smoothly. "Whosoever fits the slipper is to be wed to the price." She held a hand to indicate the two girls behind her. "Allow me to present my daughters, Drizella and Anastasia. I believe they are entitled to try the slipper."

"Actually," Terra said, coming forward. "The one we're looking for is Cinderella."

"I beg your pardon?" Lady Tremaine asked, calm voice becoming strained.

"Cinderella," Terra repeated. "The girl who danced with the prince at the ball."

"That was _her_?" Anastasia sputtered.

"It can't be!" Drizella sneered, crossing her arms. "We made sure she couldn't come."

Aqua saw Terra's eyes narrow, hand clenching to a fist. Without thinking about how small she still was, she starting running towards him, only to start growing. Suddenly too large for the small platform, she tumbled down through the air with a cry and landed painfully on the floor below.

The Tremaines openly gaped at her, and even the Grand Duke and Terra looked surprised. "Ah, um..." She smiled sheepishly. "Hello?"

"What are you doing in my home!?" Lady Tremaine demanded.

"She's probably here to rob us!" Drizella put in.

"You alright?" Terra asked, ignoring the women as Aqua came to her feet. When she nodded, he turned back to the ladies with a glare. "Where is Cinderella?"

"Here!" a voice called from the top of the stairs. "I'm right here!" There, hurrying down, was a young woman in simple clothing, blonde hair tied back with a ribbon. Cinderella's eyes lit up when she saw Terra, beaming at him. All at once, the tension seemed to leave Terra's body, and he met her at the bottom of the stairs, holding a hand out to guide her down the last steps. Cinderella took it with a wide smile, then curtseyed to the Grand Duke. Aqua caught herself grinning right along with the other girl, and didn't bother trying to hide it. The way Cinderella's heart _shined_...

"Your Grace, I must protest," Lady Tremaine cut in. "She is simply an imaginative child. It was impossible for her to attend the royal ball."

Rather than respond to the woman, the Grand Duke turned to Terra. "This is the young lady in question?" he asked, adjusting his monocle.

"Definitely," Terra confirmed, nodding to emphasize the point.

"Well, let us follow the king's orders and remove any doubt." The Grand Duke held out the glass slipper, and with another nod, Terra led Cinderella to a nearby chair. As the duke started walking over, however, Lady Tremaine's eyes narrowed. In a flash, her cane thrust out, tripping the man, the slipper flying from his hold.

Aqua gasped, diving forward as magic twisted between her fingers like a living thing. She slid across the polished floor, slipper stopping in the air inches away from the ground. The brief, improvised Time spell let her close the last of the distance and the slipper fell into her hands where it otherwise might have dashed to pieces. Unable to stop her slide, however, she curled around the slipper protectively, twisting to hit the far wall with her back.

Slowly, she sat up, greeted by expressions of varying levels of shock. "Got it," she said with a small smile, holding up the glass slipper carefully. Relief replaced half the looks, outrage the other. Aqua merely stood, making her way back to Terra to hand him the slipper with a grin.

He returned the smile and knelt in front of Cinderella. She slid her foot into the slipper, and to the surprise of none, it was a perfect fit.

"You just keep coming to my rescue," Cinderella said warmly.

"It's only fair," Terra replied, standing and holding a hand out to the young woman again, helping her to her feet. "I think... maybe I was trying too hard, and starting to lose sight of my dream. To doubt I could ever really achieve it. You made me see how important it is to keep believing in it, no matter what. So you saved me tonight, too."

Cinderella clasped his hand in both of hers, eyes shining with happy tears. "Thank you," she said. She looked over to Aqua, then to the top of the stairs, where Jaq was jumping for joy. "Oh, thank you all _so much_. This is – I never even _dreamed..._" She threw her arms around Terra's shoulders, giving him a tight hug and saying something too quietly for Aqua to hear.

Terra returned the hug, watching with a soft smile as Cinderella left with the Grand Duke. Aqua came to stand next to him. "She's pure light," she murmured.

"Yeah." Terra glanced at her, that smile still playing on his face. "Xehanort hasn't been here. There's no way he would have missed a light that bright." He frowned suddenly, then turned to the Tremaines. "If you three know what's good for you, you'll let her have this dream."

Lady Tremaine scoffed. "A ruffian like you doesn't frighten me. Now get off of my property."

Terra's eyes narrowed. "You don't even realize, do you? How close you are to losing yourselves to the darkness." He shook his head, anger replaced with pity. "If you could just let her light in, instead of fighting so hard against it..."

Lady Tremaine glared at him. "I will not allow my daughters to be surpassed by that girl." Dark tendrils began to swirl around her. Behind her, Anastasia gave her mother a wary look, but Drizella seemed oblivious. "That unfortunate consequence of station will _never_ be permitted to enter my heart."

"...I see." Terra closed his eyes for a moment, and when he opened them, they were like steel, cold and hard. "Then I'm sorry for you." And he just turned around and left.

Aqua followed him, glancing back to the Tremaines only once. They'd have to do something about those three before they left, but for now, Aqua was more concerned about her friend.

She found him standing by the fountain. His eyes were closed, and he took a deep breath as he heard her approach, fists loosening at his sides. "Maybe I'm not ready after all," he murmured, staring at the water.

"Terra..." She knew what he was talking about. Their master's decision must have really upset Terra. But he'd handled himself _so well_ here. "You held back the darkness. You didn't react in anger." There was no way the master could deny that, right?

Terra shook his head. "Barely. Just seeing those women, knowing what they did to Cinderella..." His hands tightened again. "It took everything I had to not do something. "

"And you _didn't_." Aqua wasn't going to let him ruin this for himself. He'd _succeeded_. That was the most important thing.

"This time. If you hadn't been here, I might..." Terra hung his head. "Aqua... on another world..." He stopped, trying to find the words. When he did, they came out utterly miserable. "I messed up. I made such a terrible mistake..."

Aqua set a hand gently on his shoulder, but he didn't look up at her. "You can tell me, Terra. Whatever it is, I'll listen."

"I..." His eyes squeezed shut, pain lining his face. He didn't speak for several long moments, and for a second time that night, Aqua could only guess what was going through his mind.

He started to shake his head and turn away, mouth open to refuse. He was interrupted by a loud explosion from beyond the garden. The two spun in unison, summoning their Keyblades, and with barely a glance towards each other, ran towards the noise. They found the Grand Duke slumped against a tree, and Aqua stopped to check on him, Terra waiting only long enough for her to nod before he took off.

"The young lady," the man said weakly. "We were attacked. She's still..."

"We'll take care of it," Aqua promised. She pressed a potion into his hands and ran after Terra, hearing several more explosions go off. When she arrived, the first thing she saw was the huge Unversed, shaped like some mix between a pumpkin and a carriage. It rolled on wheels made of vines, red eyes glowing malevolently as more vines lashed in the air, throwing smaller pumpkins towards Terra, who stood protectively in front of Cinderella.

Aqua steeled herself and ran to join the fight. Cinderella saw her coming, and with a last, sad look towards the Unversed, made a break for the trees. Aqua paused next to Terra as he blocked one of the thrown pumpkins, wincing as it exploded.

"The Tremaines?" Aqua asked, weaving a barrier around them both to block the next bomb.

"The darkness got the better of them," Terra said grimly. "They called that thing, but couldn't control it."

Aqua nodded, understanding Cinderella's parting look. "Ready?"

He shifted his stance to rush forward as soon as the barrier faded. "Whenever you are."

"And after this, we're going to have a _long_ talk." He gave her a surprised look, then nodded, face set.

With that, she let the barrier drop, and the two of them attacked the Unversed in a flurry of magic and flashing Keyblades.

Because Aqua _did_ believe dreams came true. They would protect Cinderella's here. And she'd work as hard as she could to make their own come true, too.

* * *

**Argh, you have _no_ idea how hard I tried to avoid the pumpkin, especially as this got longer and longer (Terra and his crossroads... though I actually really like writing him). But once the Tremaines got left alone, there was no way to stop it. Sigh. So I'm going to end this right here before I wind up following Aqua and Terra all the way to Enchanted Dominion and trying to free Aurora's heart... and running into Ven... and fighting Maleficent... Part two, anyone?**

**Also, Terra and Cinderella. I could ship it.**


	9. Said, Heard

**Next... Axel and Roxas. One of (quite) a few opportunities with them, but I went with this scene because it's more recognizable, showing up in KH II as well as Days.**

**And hey, look! A manageable length!**

* * *

**Said, Heard**

"Your mind's made up?"

Roxas paused, looking over his shoulder but not meeting Axel's eyes. "Why did the Keyblade chose me? I have to know."

"You can't turn on the Organization!" Axel shoved himself off the wall, taking a step towards the younger Nobody. He stopped his advance when he saw Roxas narrow his eyes, one hand starting to clench in warning. Still, Axel wasn't going to give up that easily. "You get on their bad side and they'll destroy you!" _They'll make __**me**__ destroy you_.

Roxas didn't react. "No one would miss me," he said simply, and started walking away again.

"That not true," Axel said. Roxas just kept walking, either not hearing the soft words or deliberately ignoring them.

Axel was suddenly both depressed and angry at the same time. Xion had run off again. Roxas was leaving. And the Organization would send him, the unofficial dirty-job-taker, after them.

He couldn't stop these two. Wasn't sure he _should_ stop them. There were things at work here he didn't know or understand, all tied up with Sora and his connection with Axel's friends. Seeing Xion with Sora's face had been proof enough of that. Maybe this was for the best.

All Axel knew for sure was that his world was falling apart all over again, and it _hurt_. Hurt like drifting from Isa hadn't hurt, not until he'd met the Keyblade master in Castle Oblivion. Not until something forgotten in the darkness had found its way back to the light.

Was he going to just give up again? Just go with the flow? It was the easy answer, the one he'd been using for a long, long time because he told himself it didn't really matter when the truth was he just didn't know what else to _do_...

Long, quick strides soon had him catching up with the boy, grabbing his wrist to stop him. Roxas shot him an impressive scowl, tugging away, but Axel was _sick_ of just letting his friends go. "That's _not_ true," he said again, more firmly this time. "_I_ would."

Something soft flashed across blue eyes before they hardened again. "How could you?" Roxas asked, pulling again to try and free his hand. "No heart, remember?"

"Yeah," Axel said. "I _do_ remember. That's the problem." Roxas's eyebrows twitched together in confusion. "I remember what it was like to have a heart. That's why I know, right now... What I'm feeling is real." Ever since Castle Oblivion, when he'd felt that first stirring of _something_. And Axel wouldn't, couldn't, deny it anymore.

Roxas finally pulled free and backed away a few steps, out of grabbing reach, but that was it. His glare warned Axel to not try it again. "So what now? Are you gonna drag me back like you did Xion? Or tell me the truth for once?"

Axel grimaced, head lowering. "I..."

The Organization had already admitted Roxas and Xion were considered just means to an end. There was nothing left for them there. Nothing except him, maybe, but Roxas had made it clear he didn't trust Axel anymore, and Xion... Xion was worrying too much about that big picture Roxas couldn't see.

_What if we all ran off?_

Had that really only been three days ago? It felt like so much longer. What had stopped him then? What was stopping him _now_? The threat of being hunted down? Lesser Nobodies wouldn't stand a chance against the three of them, and the Organization was stretched too thin for the remaining members to search. Not having anywhere to go? Then they could _find_ somewhere, _make_ a place they belonged. ...Isa?

Isa hadn't been his friend for a long time.

Finally, he shook his head. "No. I'm done taking the icky jobs." He looked behind them, to where the castle floated in the distance. It had never been home, no matter how often he'd called it that. The place he belonged now... His _heart_ told him it was with Roxas and Xion. "The truth isn't pretty, Roxas. But if that's what it takes, I'll tell you. It's a long story, though, so we've got to get out of here before they figure out we're going."

Roxas smiled grimly. "Saïx knows. Might take him a while to tell anyone, though."

Axel blinked, wondering if he should feel upset at Roxas's implication. Or guilty that he didn't. "Let's hurry it up, then. Saïx doesn't stay down long." He held out a hand, opening a dark corridor.

Roxas gave him a skeptical look, but the promise of an explanation at last seemed to have won him over for now. He walked into the corridor, and after one more look to the castle, so did Axel.

* * *

**Okay, this is the last one I've got finished, so may be a while before the next update here. Got a couple of ideas still and a suggestion (which, by the way, feel free to offer), just haven't gotten them done yet. Hope to have something soon, so see you then!**


	10. Is There a Doctor in the House?

**Now, for a rather large oversight on the parts of our main characters. Thanks to whitetiger2194 for pointing it out!**

* * *

**Is There a Doctor in the House?**

Because of all the fights going on all over, Sora only noticed the explosion because it was so close. He'd barely turned toward it in time to see the rock flying in their direction.

Goofy had seen it sooner. "Look out!" he yelled frantically, pushing the king out of the way. There was a sickening _crack_ as the rock slammed dead center into Goofy's forehead, hurling him all the way to the stone wall that surrounded the area. He hit the wall with a thud and just laid there, perfectly still.

"Goofy!" Sora cried, he and Donald both racing over.

Mickey ran a few steps after them, slowing to a halt with a soft "No..."

"Hey!" Donald said, kneeling next to the knight and shaking him. "You're the king's captian! You've gotta get up!"

"Come on, wake up!" Sora begged. Even in his sleep, Goofy was _never_ this still... _No, no, no way, this is __**not**__ happening..._

Donald pounded his hands on Goofy's chest a few more times. "I'm sorry about the ice cream," he said, trying to use that stupid joke Sora didn't know but always, _always_, made Goofy laugh.

"Goofy?" the king whispered.

Donald jumped back to his feet, drawing his staff out. "Cure!" he called, green and yellow light blossoming in the air above his fallen friend.

Sora stared at him a moment, surprised, then nodded, digging through the pouches on the sides of his pants. Come on, he _knew_ he had a potion in here somewhere...

"Fellas, I don't think..."

"Don't say it," Sora said, refusing to look at Mickey. He could hear the pain in the small king's voice, but right now he couldn't acknowledge the reason behind it. He finally found that potion, uncorking it and carefully pouring the liquid into Goofy's mouth. "It has to work. It just has to."

...Sora didn't know what he'd do if it didn't. Because this was _his_ fault. If he'd left to find Riku and Kairi like the king had said... But he couldn't stand the thought of abandoning Leon and the others, either... And now Goofy was...

He swallowed hard, blinking back tears as Donald cast another Cure. "Come on, Goofy. Please wake up."

He felt a small hand on his shoulder, and looking over, found King Mickey had walked over to join them. Mickey gave him a weak smile, then called his Keyblade. "Heal," he said, green and yellow flowing from the tip to Goofy.

Goofy's eyes blinked open and he bolted upright with a yelp, looking around before rubbing his head. "Y'know, that really hurt," he said.

"Goofy!" all three of them exclaimed. Donald and the king launched themselves at the knight, hanging off him, while Sora simply sagged in relief.

"You fellas weren't that worried, were ya?" Goofy asked. "Gawrsh, I get hit on the head all the time!"

"Well," Mickey said, standing back and grinning at his old friend. "We promised we'd finish this all together, didn't we?"

"All for one and one for all, right?" Donald frowned suddenly, then wound up his staff and whacked Goofy hard on the knee. "Don't you ever do that again!"

Goofy yelped, grabbing at the abused limb. "That hurt, too!"

Sora laughed weakly in relief, watching the exchange and feeling the tightness around his heart start to lessen. Goofy was okay. Things were going to work out. As long as his friends were with him...

"Sora, thank you."

The Keyblade master looked over to see Mickey, still at his side as Donald continued to berate Goofy for being so careless. "What for?"

Mickey got a sad, faraway stare on his face as he looked to the side. "For not letting me give up on another friend. I don't know what I'd do if..."

Sora smiled. "I understand. You don't have to say it."

Mickey nodded gratefully. "You know, you remind me a lot of a good friend of mine, one I haven't thought about for a long time. Maybe I'm ready to believe again..." The king aimed a smile up at the teen, old confidence returned. "Someday I'll have to tell you about him. But first we gotta help our friends here."

"Right!" Sora agreed. Grinning, he slung an arm around Donald and Goofy's shoulders, interrupting what sound like a threat to tell Clarabelle Cow something. "Come on, guys. Time to save the world again."

* * *

**...That's odd. I distinctly remember deciding to write this as a humorous oneshot because I was having trouble with planning how to do it seriously. And then this happens. Huh. Guess this is why I'm not funny. That Birth By Sleep reference surprised me, too...**


End file.
